Phony story used in gas station heist

Anthony Syas (Chicago Police Department)

September 09, 2013|By Rachel Cromidas, @rachelcromidas | RedEye

An Englewood man was arrested Sunday evening on theft charges after a gas station owner accused him of stealing thousands of dollars from the store while pretending he had lost his phone inside, county prosecutors said.

Anthony Syas, 24, of the 7200 block of South Princeton Avenue, entered a gas station on West Garfield Boulevard on Sept. 1, prosecutors said, and told its owner that someone had stolen his cell phone in the store earlier. The store owner took Syas into a back room to view security camera footage, where Syas allegedly pocketed about $2,400 dollars from a safe.

When police arrested Syas Sunday night, the store owner identified him as the thief, the police report said. Syas tried to flee and police performed an emergency takedown to arrest him, according to the report.

Syas was brought to the Cook County Criminal Courthouse on Monday afternoon and released on a $30,000 I-bond.